—— Review of T. E. Gordon's Roof of the World. (The Academy, 15th July, 1876, pp. 49-50.)

1876 Cambodia. (Encycl. Brit. IV. 1876, pp. 723-726.)

1877 Champa. (Geog. Mag., 1st March, 1877, pp. 66-67.)

Article written for the Encycl. Brit. 9th edition, but omitted for reasons which the writer did not clearly understand.

—— Quid, si Mundus evolvatur? (Spectator, 24th March, 1877.)

Written in 1875.—Signed MARCUS PAULUS VENETUS.

—— On Louis de Backer's L'Extreme-Orient au Moyen-Age. (The Athenaeum, No. 2598, 11th Aug. 1877, pp. 174-175.)

—— On P. Dabry de Thiersant's Catholicisme en Chine. (The Athenaeum, No. 2599, 18th Aug. 1877, pp. 209-210.)

—— Review of Thomas de Quincey, His Life and Writings. By H. A. Page. (Times, 27th Aug. 1877.)

—— Companions of Faust. Letter on the Claims of P. Castaldi. (Times, Sept. 1877.)

1878 The late Col. T. G. Montgomerie, R.E. (Bengal). (R. E. Journal, April, 1878.) 8vo, pp. 8.

—— Mr. Henry M. Stanley and the Royal Geographical Society; being the Record of a Protest. By Col. H. Yule and H. M. Hyndman B.A., F.R.G.S. London: Bickers and Son, 1878, 8vo, pp. 48

—— Review of Burma, Past and Present; with Personal Reminiscences of the Country. By Lieut.-Gen. Albert Fytche. (The Athenaeum, No. 2634, 20th April, 1878, pp. 499-500.)

—— Kayal. (The Athenaeum, No. 2634, 20th April, 1878, p. 515.)

Letter dated April, 1878.

—— Missions in Southern India. (Letter to Pall Mall Gazette, 20th June, 1878.)

—— Mr. Stanley and his Letters of 1875. (Letter to Pall Mall Gazette, 30th Jan. 1878.)

—— Review of Richthofen's China, Bd. I. (The Academy, 13th April, 1878, pp. 315-316.)

—— [A foreshadowing of the Phonograph.] (The Athenaeum, No. 2636, 4th May, 1878.)

1879 A Memorial of the Life and Services of Maj.-Gen. W. W. H. Greathed, C.B., Royal Engineers (Bengal), (1826-1878). Compiled by a Friend and Brother Officer. London, printed for private circulation, 1879, 8vo, pp. 57.

—— Review of Gaur: its Ruins and Inscriptions. By John Henry Ravenshaw. (The Athenaeum, No. 2672, 11th Jan. 1879, pp. 42-44.)

—— Wellington College. (Letter to Pall Mall Gazette, 14th April, 1879.)

—— Dr. Holub's Travels. (The Athenaeum, No. 2710, 4th Oct. 1879, pp. 436-437.)

—— Letter to Comm. Berchet, dated 2nd Dec. 1878. (Archivio Veneto XVII. 1879, pp. 360-362.)

Regarding some documents discovered by the Ab. Cav. V. Zanetti.

—— Gaur. (Encyclop. Brit. X. 1879, pp. 112-116.)

—— Ghazni. (Ibid. pp. 559-562.)

—— Gilgit. (Ibid. pp. 596-599.)

—— Singular Coincidences. (The Athenaeum, No. 2719, 6th Dec. 1879.)

1880 [Brief Obituary Notice of] General W. C. Macleod. (Pall Mall Gazette, 10th April, 1880.)

—— [Obituary Notice of] Gen. W. C. Macleod. (Proc. R. Geog. Soc., June, 1880.)

—— An Ode in Brown Pig. Suggested by reading Mr. Lang's Ballades in Blue China. [Signed MARCUS PAULUS VENETUS.] (St. James' Gazette, 17th July, 1880.)

—— Notes on Analogies of Manners between the Indo-Chinese Races and the Races of the Indian Archipelago. By Col. Yule (Journ. Anthrop. Inst. of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. ix., 1880, pp. 290-301.)

—— Sketches of Asia in the Thirteenth Century and of Marco Polo's Travels, delivered at Royal Engineer Institute, 18th Nov. 1880.

[This Lecture, with slight modification, was also delivered on other occasions both before and after. Doubtful if ever fully reported.]

—— Dr. Holub's Collections. (The Athenaeum, No. 2724, 10th Jan. 1880.)

—— Prof. Max Mueller's Paper at the Royal Asiatic Society. (The Athenaeum, No. 2731, 28th Feb. 1880, p. 285.)

—— The Temple of Buddha Gaya. (Review of Dr. Rajendralala Mitra's Buddha Gaya.) (Sat. Rev., 27th March, 1870.)

—— Mr. Gladstone and Count Karoiyi. (Letter to The Examiner, 22nd May, 1880, signed TRISTRAM SHANDY.)

1880 Stupa of Barhut. [Review of Cunningham's work.] (Sat. Rev., 5th June, 1880.)

—— From Africa: Southampton, Fifth October, 1880.

[Verses to Sir Bartle Frere.] (Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Nov. 1880.)

—— Review of H. Howorth's History of the Mongols, Part II. (The Athenaeum, No. 2762, 2nd Oct. 1880, pp. 425-427.)

—— Verboten ist, a Rhineland Rhapsody. (Printed for private circulation only.)

—— Hindu-Kush. (Encyclop. Brit. XI. 1880, pp. 837-839.)

—— The River of Golden Sand, the Narrative of a Journey through China and Eastern Tibet to Burmah, With Illustrations and ten Maps from Original Surveys. By Capt. W. Gill, Royal Engineers. With an Introductory Essay. By Col. H. Yule, London, John Murray,... 1880, 2 vols. 8vo, pp. 95-420, 11-453;

—— The River of Golden Sand: Being the Narrative of a Journey through China and Eastern Tibet to Burmah. By the late Capt. W. Gill, R.E. Condensed by Edward Colborne Baber, Chinese Secretary to H.M.'s Legation at Peking. Edited, with a Memoir and Introductory Essay, by Col. H. Yule. With Portrait, Map, and Woodcuts. London, John Murray, 1883, 8vo., pp. 141-332.

—— Memoir of Captain W. Gill, R.E., and Introductory Essay as prefixed to the New Edition of the "River of Golden Sand." By Col. H. Yule. London, John Murray,... 1884, 8vo. [Paged 19-141.]

1881 [Notice on William Yule] in Persian Manuscripts in the British Museum. By Sir F. J. Goldsmid. (The Athenaeum, No. 2813, 24th Sept. 1881, pp. 401-403.)

—— Il Beato Odorico di Pordenone, ed i suoi Viaggi: Cenni dettati dal Col. Enrico Yule, quando s'inaugurava in Pordenone il Busto di Odorico il giorno, 23 deg. Settembre, MDCCCLXXXI, 8vo. pp. 8.

—— Hwen T'sang. (Encyclop. Brit. XII. 1881, pp. 418-419.)

—— Ibn Batuta. (Ibid. pp. 607-609.)

—— Kafiristan. (Ibid. XIII. 1881, pp. 820-823.)

—— Major James Rennell, F.R.S., of the Bengal Engineers. [Reprinted from the Royal Engineers' Journal], 8vo., pp. 16.

(Dated 7th Dec. 1881.)

1881 Notice of Sir William E. Baker. (St. James' Gazette, 27th Dec. 1881.)

—— Parallels [Matthew Arnold and de Barros]. (The Athenaeum, No. 2790, 16th April, 1881, pp. 536.)

1882 Memoir of Gen. Sir William Erskine Baker, K.C.B., Royal Engineers (Bengal). Compiled by two old friends, brother officers and pupils. London. Printed for private circulation, 1882, 8vo., pp. 67.

By H. Y[ule] and R. M. [Gen. R. Maclagan].

—— Etymological Notes. (The Athenaeum, No. 2837, 11th March, 1882; No. 2840, 1st April, 1882, p. 413.)

—— Lhasa. (Encyclop. Brit. XIV. 1882, pp. 496-503.)

—— Wadono. (The Athenaeum, No. 2846, 13th May, 1882, p. 602.)

—— Dr. John Brown. (The Athenaeum, No. 2847, 20th May, 1882, pp. 635-636.)

—— A Manuscript of Marco Polo. (The Athenaeum, No. 2851, 17th June, 1882, pp. 765-766.)

[About Baron Nordenskioeld's Facsimile Edition.]

—— Review of Ancient India as described by Ktesias the Knidian, etc. By J. W. M'Crindle. (The Athenaeum, No. 2860, 19th Aug. 1882, pp. 237-238.)

—— The Silver Coinage of Thibet. (Review of Terrien de Lacouperie's Paper.) (The Academy, 19th Aug. 1882, pp 140-141.)

—— Review of The Indian Balhara and the Arabian Intercourse with India. By Edward Thomas. (The Athenaeum, No. 2866, 30th Sept. 1882, pp. 428-429.)

—— The Expedition of Professor Palmer, Capt. Gill, and Lieut. Charrington. (Letter in The Times, 16th Oct. 1882.)

—— Obituary Notice of Dr. Arthur Burnell. (Times, 20th Oct. 1882.)

—— Capt. William Gill, R.E. [Notice of]. (The Times, 31st Oct. 1882.)

See supra, first col. of this page.

—— Notes on the Oldest Records of the Sea Route to China from Western Asia. By Col. Yule. Proc. of the Royal Geographical Society, and Monthly Record of Geography, Nov. No. 1882, 8vo.

Proceedings, N.S. IV. 1882, pp. 649-660. Read at the Geographical Section, Brit. Assoc., Southampton Meeting, augmented and revised by the author.

1883 Lord Lawrence. [Review of Life of Lord Lawrence. By R. Bosworth Smith.] (Quarterly Review, vol. 155, April, 1883, pp. 289-326.)

—— Review of Across Chryse. By A. R. Colquhoun. (The Athenaeum, No. 2900, 26th May, 1883, pp. 663-665.)

—— La Terra del Fuoco e Carlo Darwin. (Extract from Letter published by the Fanfulla, Rome 2nd June, 1883.)

—— How was the Trireme rowed? (The Academy, 6th Oct. 1883, p. 237.)

—— Across Chryse. (The Athenaeum, No. 2922, 27th Oct. 1883.)

—— Political Fellowship in the India Council. (Letter in The Times, 15th Dec. 1883.) [Heading was not Yule's.]

—— Maldive Islands. (Encyclop. Brit. XV. 1883, pp. 327-332.)

—— Mandeville. (Ibid. pp. 473-475.)

1884 A Sketch of the Career of Gen. John Reid Becher, C.B., Royal Engineers (Bengal). By an old friend and brother officer. Printed for private circulation, 1884, 8vo, pp. 40.

—— Rue Quills. (The Academy, No. 620, 22nd March, 1884, pp. 204-205.) Reprinted in present ed. of Marco Polo, vol. ii. p. 596.

—— Lord Canning. (Letter in The Times, 2nd April, 1884.)

—— Sir Bartle Frere [Letter respecting Memorial of]. (St. James' Gazette, 27th July, 1884.)

—— Odoric. (Encyclop. Brit. XVIII. 1884, pp. 728-729.)

—— Ormus. (Ibid. pp. 856-858.)

1885 Memorials of Gen. Sir Edward Harris Greathed, K.C.B. Compiled by the late Lieut.-Gen. Alex. Cunningham Robertson, C.B. Printed for private circulation. (With a prefatory notice of the compiler.) London, Harrison & Sons,... 1885, 8vo, pp. 95.

The Prefatory Notice of Gen. A. C. Robertson is by H. Yule, June, 1885, p. iii.-viii.

—— Anglo-Indianisms. (Letter in the St. James' Gazette, 30th July, 1885.)

—— Obituary Notice of Col. Grant Allan, Madras Army. (From the Army and Navy Gazette, 22nd Aug. 1885.)

—— Shameless Advertisements. (Letter in The Times, 28th Oct. 1885.)

1886 Marco Polo. (Encyclop. Brit. XIX. 1885, pp. 404-409.)

—— Prester John. (Ibid. pp. 714-718.)

—— Brief Notice of Sir Edward Clive Bayley. Pages ix.-xiv. [Prefixed to The History of India as told by its own Historians: Gujarat. By the late Sir Edward Clive Bayley.] London, Allen, 1886, 8vo.

—— Sir George Udny Yule. In Memoriam (St. James' Gazette, 18th Jan. 1886.)

—— Cacothanasia. [Political Verse, Signed [Greek: Maenin AEIDE]] (St. James' Gazette, 1st Feb. 1886.)

—— William Kay, D.D. [Notice of]. (Letter to The Guardian, 3rd Feb. 1886.)

—— Col. George Thomson, C.B., R.E. (Royal Engineers' Journal, 1886.)

—— Col. George Thomson, C.B. [Note]. (St. James' Gazette, 16th Feb. 1886.)

—— Hidden Virtues [A Satire on W. E. Gladstone]. (Letter to the St. James' Gazette, 21st March, 1886. Signed M. P. V.)

—— Burma, Past and Present. (Quart. Rev. vol. 162, Jan. and April, 1886, pp. 210-238.)

—— Errors of Facts, in two well-known Pictures.

(The Athenaeum, No. 3059, 12th June, 1886, p. 788.)

—— [Obituary Notice of] Lieut.-Gen. Sir Arthur Phayre, C.B., K.C.S.I., G.C.M.G. (Proc. R.G.S., N.S. 1886, VIII. pp. 103-112.)

—— "Lines suggested by a Portrait in the Millais Exhibition."

Privately printed and (though never published) widely circulated. These powerful verses on Gladstone are those several times referred to by Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff, in his published Diaries.

—— Introductory Remarks on The Rock-Cut Caves and Statues of Bamian. By Capt. the Hon. M. G. Talbot. (Journ. R. As. Soc. N.S. XVIII. 1886, pp. 323-329.)

—— Opening Address. (Ibid. pp. i.-v.)

—— Opening Address. (Ibid. xix. pp. i.-iii.)

—— Hobson-Jobsoniana. By H. Yule (Asiatic Quarterly Review, vol. i. 1886, pp. 119-140.)

—— HOBSON-JOBSON: Being a Glossary of Anglo-Indian Colloquial Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms; etymological, historical, geographical, and discursive. By Col. H. Yule, and the late Arthur Coke Burnell, Ph.D., C.I.E., author of "The Elements of South Indian Palaeography," etc., London, John Murray, 1886. (All rights reserved), 8vo, p. xliii.-870. Preface, etc.

A new edition is in preparation under the editorship of Mr. William Crooke (1902).

1886 John Bunyan. (Letter in St. James' Gazette, circa 31st Dec. 1886. Signed M. P. V.)

—— Rennell. (Encyclop. Brit. XX. 1886, pp. 398-401.)

—— Rubruquis (Ibid. XXI. 1886, pp. 46-47.)

1887 Lieut.-Gen. W. A. Crommelen, C.B., R.E. (Royal Engineers' Journal, 1887.)

—— [Obituary Notice] Col. Sir J. U. Bateman Champain. (Times, 2nd Feb. 1887).

—— "Pulping Public Records." (Notes and Queries, 19th March, 1887.)

—— A Filial Remonstrance (Political Verses). Signed M. P. V. (St. James' Gazette, 8th Aug. 1887.)

—— Memoir of Major-Gen. J. T. Boileau, R.E., F.R.S. By C. R. Low, I.N., F.R.G.S. With a Preface by Col. H. Yule, C.B., London, Allen, 1887.

—— The Diary of William Hedges, Esq. (afterwards Sir William Hedges), during his Agency in Bengal; as well as on his voyage out and return overland (1681-1687). Transcribed for the Press, with Introductory Notes, etc., by R. Barlow, Esq., and illustrated by copious extracts from unpublished records, etc., by Col. H. Yule. Pub. for Hakluyt Society. London, 1887-1889, 3 vols. 8vo.

1888 Concerning some little known Travellers in the East. (Asiatic Quarterly Review, V. 1888, pp. 312-335.)

No. I.—George Strachan.

—— Concerning some little known Travellers in the East. (Asiatic Quarterly Review, VI. 1888, pp. 382-398.)

No. II.—William, Earl of Denbigh; Sir Henry Skipwith; and others.

—— Notes on the St. James's of the 6th Jan. [A Budget of Miscellaneous interesting criticism.] (Letter to St. James' Gazette, 9th Jan. 1888.)

—— Deflections of the Nile. (Letter in The Times, 15th Oct. 1888.)

—— The History of the Pitt Diamond, being an excerpt from Documentary Contributions to a Biography of Thomas Pitt, prepared for issue [in Hedges' Diary] by the Hakluyt Society. London, 1888, 8vo. pp. 23.

Fifty Copies printed for private circulation.

1889 The Remains of Pagan. By H. Yule. (Truebner's Record, 3rd ser. vol. i. pt. i. 1889, p. 2.)

To introduce notes by Dr. E Forchammer.

—— A Coincident Idiom. By H. Yule. (Truebner's Record, 3rd ser. vol. i. pt. iii. pp. 84-85.)

—— The Indian Congress [a Disclaimer], (Letter to The Times, 1st Jan. 1889.)

—— Arrowsmith, the Friend of Thomas Poole. (Letter in The Academy, 9th Feb. 1889, p. 96.)

BIOGRAPHIES OF SIR HENRY YULE.

—— Colonel Sir Henry Yule, K.C.S.I., C.B., LL.D., R.E. By General Robert Maclagan, R.E. (Proceed. Roy. Geog. Soc. XII. 1890, pp. 108-113.)

—— Colonel Sir Henry Yule, K.C.S.I., C.B., LL.D., R.E., etc. (With a Portrait). By E. Delmar Morgan. (Scottish Geographical Magazine, VI. 1890, pp. 93-98.) Contains a very good Bibliography.

—— Col. Sir H. Yule, R.E., C.B., K.C.S.I., by Maj.-Gen. T. B. Collinson, R.E., Royal Engineers' Journal, March, 1890. [This is the best of the Notices of Yule which appeared at the time of his death.]

—— Sir Henry Yule, K.C.S.I, C.B., LL.D., R.E., by E. H. Giglioli. Roma, 1890, ppt. 8vo, pp. 8.

Estratto dal Bollettino della Societa Geografica Italiana, Marzo, 1890.

—— Sir Henry Yule. By J. S. C[otton]. (The Academy, 11th Jan. 1890, No. 923, pp. 26-27.)

—— Sir Henry Yule. (The Athenaeum, No. 3245, 4th Jan. 1900, p. 17; No. 3246, 11th Jan. p. 53; No. 3247, 18th Jan. p. 88.)

—— In Memoriam. Sir Henry Yule. By D. M. (The Academy, 29th March, 1890, p. 222.)

See end of Memoir in present work.

—— Le Colonel Sir Henry Yule. Par M. Henri Cordier. Extrait du Journal Asiatique. Paris, Imprimerie nationale, MDCCCXC, in-8, pp. 26.

—— The same, Bulletin de la Societe de Geographie. Par M. Henri Cordier. 1890, 8vo, pp. 4.

Meeting 17th Jan. 1890.

1889 Baron F. von Richthofen. (Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft fuer Erdkunde zu Berlin, xvii. 2.)

—— Colonel Sir Henry Yule, R.E., C.B., K.C.S.I. Memoir by General R. Maclagan, Journ. R. Asiatic Society, 1890.

—— Memoir of Colonel Sir Henry Yule, R.E., C.B., K.C.S.I., LL.D., etc. By Coutts Trotter. (Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1891. p. xliii. to p. lvi.)

1889 Sir Henry Yule (1820-1889). By Coutts Trotter. (Dict. of National Biography, lxiii. pp. 405-407.)

1903 Memoir of Colonel Sir Henry Yule, R.E., C.B., K.C.S.I., Corr. Inst. France, by his daughter, Amy Frances Yule, L.A.Soc. Ant. Scot., etc. Written for third edition of Yule's Marco Polo. Reprinted for private circulation only.

[1] This list is based on the excellent preliminary List compiled by E. Delmar Morgan, published in the Scottish Geographical Magazine, vol. vi., pp. 97-98, but the present compilers have much more than doubled the number of entries. It is, however, known to be still incomplete, and any one able to add to the list, will greatly oblige the compilers by sending additions to the Publisher.—A. F. Y.



SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.



MARCO POLO AND HIS BOOK.

INTRODUCTORY NOTICES.

I. OBSCURITIES IN THE HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND BOOK. RAMUSIO'S STATEMENTS

Sec. 1. Obscurities, etc. 2. Ramusio his earliest Biographer; his Account of Polo. 3. He vindicates Polo's Geography. 4. Compares him with Columbus. 5. Recounts a Tradition of the Traveller's Return to Venice. 6. Recounts Marco's Capture by the Genoese. 7. His statements about Marco's liberation and marriage. 8. His account of the Family Polo and its termination.

II. SKETCH OF THE STATE OF THE EAST AT THE TIME OF THE JOURNEYS OF THE POLO FAMILY

Sec. 9. State of the Levant. 10. The various Mongol Sovereignties in Asia and Eastern Europe. 11. China. 12. India and Indo-China.

III. THE POLO FAMILY. PERSONAL HISTORY OF THE TRAVELLERS TILL THEIR FINAL RETURN FROM THE EAST

Sec. 13. Alleged origin of the Polos. 14. Claims to Nobility. 15. The Elder Marco Polo. 16. Nicolo and Maffeo Polo commence their Travels. 17. Their intercourse with Kublai Kaan. 18. Their return home, and Marco's appearance on the scene. 19. Second Journey of the Polo Brothers, accompanied by Marco. (See App. L. 1.) 20. Marco's Employment by Kublai Kaan; and his Journeys. 21. Circumstances of the departure of the Polos from the Kaan's Court. 22. They pass by Persia to Venice. Their relations there.

IV. DIGRESSION CONCERNING THE MANSION OF THE POLO FAMILY AT S. GIOVANNI GRISOSTOMO

Sec. 23. Probable period of their establishment at S. Giovanni Grisostomo. 24. Relics of the Casa Polo in the Corte Sabbionera. 24a. Recent corroboration as to traditional site of the Casa Polo.

V. DIGRESSION CONCERNING THE WAR-GALLEYS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN STATES IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

Sec. 25. Arrangement of the Rowers in Mediaeval Galleys; a separate Oar to every Man. 26. Change of System in 16th Century. 27. Some details of 13th-Century Galleys. 28. Fighting Arrangements. 29. Crew of a Galley and Staff of a Fleet. 30. Music and miscellaneous particulars.

VI. THE JEALOUSIES AND NAVAL WARS OF VENICE AND GENOA. LAMBA DORIA'S EXPEDITION TO THE ADRIATIC; BATTLE OF CURZOLA; AND IMPRISONMENT OF MARCO POLO BY THE GENOESE

Sec. 31. Growing Jealousies and Outbreaks between the Republics. 32. Battle in Bay of Ayas in 1294. 33. Lamba Doria's Expedition to the Adriatic. 34. The Fleets come in sight of each other at Curzola. 35. The Venetians defeated, and Marco Polo a Prisoner. 36. Marco Polo in Prison dictates his Book to Rusticiano of Pisa. Release of Venetian Prisoners. 37. Grounds on which the story of Marco Polo's capture at Curzola rests.

VII. RUSTICIANO OR RUSTICHELLO OF PISA, MARCO POLO'S FELLOW-PRISONER AT GENOA, THE SCRIBE WHO WROTE DOWN THE TRAVELS

Sec. 38. Rusticiano, perhaps a Prisoner from Meloria. 39. A Person known from other sources. 40. Character of his Romance Compilations. 41. Identity of the Romance Compiler with Polo's Fellow-Prisoner. 42. Further particulars regarding Rusticiano.

VIII. NOTICES OF MARCO POLO'S HISTORY AFTER THE TERMINATION OF HIS IMPRISONMENT AT GENOA

Sec. 43. Death of Marco's Father before 1300. Will of his Brother Maffeo. 44. Documentary Notices of Polo at this time. The Sobriquet of Milione. 45. Polo's relations with Thibault de Cepoy. 46. His Marriage, and his Daughters. Marco as a Merchant. 47. His Last Will; and Death. 48. Place of Sepulture. Professed Portraits of Polo. 49. Further History of the Polo Family. 49 bis. Reliques of Marco Polo.

IX. MARCO POLO'S BOOK; AND THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH IT WAS FIRST WRITTEN

Sec. 50. General Statement of what the Book contains. 51. Language of the original Work. 52. Old French Text of the Societe de Geographie. 53. Conclusive proof that the Old French Text is the source of all the others. 54. Greatly diffused employment of French in that age.

X. VARIOUS TYPES OF TEXT OF MARCO POLO'S BOOK

Sec. 55. Four Principal Types of Text. First, that of the Geographic or Oldest French. 56. Second, the Remodelled French Text; followed by Pauthier. 57. The Bern MS. and two others form a sub-class of this type. 58. Third, Friar Pipino's Latin. 59. The Latin of Grynaeus, a Translation at Fifth Hand. 60. Fourth, Ramusio's Italian. 61. Injudicious Tamperings in Ramusio. 62. Genuine Statements peculiar to Ramusio. 63. Hypothesis of the Sources of the Ramusian Version. 64. Summary in regard to Text of Polo. 65. Notice of a curious Irish Version.

XI. SOME ESTIMATE OF THE CHARACTER OF POLO AND HIS BOOK

Sec. 66. Grounds of Polo's Pre-eminence among Mediaeval Travellers. 67. His true claims to glory. 68. His personal attributes seen but dimly. 69. Absence of scientific notions. 70. Map constructed on Polo's data. 71. Singular omissions of Polo in regard to China; historical inaccuracies. 72. Was Polo's Book materially affected by the Scribe Rusticiano? 73. Marco's reading embraced the Alexandrian Romances. Examples. 74. Injustice long done to Polo. Singular Modern Example.

XII. CONTEMPORARY RECOGNITION OF POLO AND HIS BOOK.

Sec. 75. How far was there diffusion of his Book in his own day? 76. Contemporary References to Polo. T. de Cepoy; Pipino; Jacopo d'Acqui; Giov. Villani. 77. Pietro d'Abano; Jean le Long of Ypres. 78. Curious borrowings from Polo in the Romance of Bauduin de Sebourc. 78 bis. Chaucer and Marco Polo.

XIII. NATURE OF POLO'S INFLUENCE ON GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE

Sec. 79. Tardy operation, and causes thereof. 80. General characteristics of Mediaeval Cosmography. 81. Roger Bacon as a Geographer. 82. Arab Geography. 83. Marino Sanudo the Elder. 84. The Catalan Map of 1375, the most complete mediaeval embodiment of Polo's Geography. 85. Fra Mauro's Map. Confusions in Cartography of the 16th Century from the endeavour to combine new and old information. 86. Gradual disappearance of Polo's nomenclature. 87. Alleged introduction of Block-printed Books into Europe by Marco Polo in connexion with the fiction of the invention of Printing by Castaldi of Feltre. 88. Frequent opportunities for such introduction in the Age following Polo's.

XIV. EXPLANATIONS REGARDING THE BASIS ADOPTED FOR THE PRESENT TRANSLATION

Sec. 89. Texts followed by Marsden and by Pauthier. 90. Eclectic Formation of the English Text of this Translation. 91. Mode of rendering Proper Names.



THE BOOK OF MARCO POLO.

PROLOGUE.

PRELIMINARY ADDRESS OF RUSTICIANO OF PISA

I.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS POLO SET FORTH FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO TRAVERSE THE WORLD

NOTES.—1. Chronology. 2. "The Great Sea." The Port of Soldaia.

II.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS WENT ON BEYOND SOLDAIA

NOTES.—1. Site and Ruins of Sarai. 2. City of Bolghar. 3. Alau Lord of the Levant (i.e. Hulaku). 4. Ucaca on the Volga. 5. River Tigeri.

III.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS, AFTER CROSSING A DESERT, CAME TO THE CITY OF BOCARA, AND FELL IN WITH CERTAIN ENVOYS THERE

NOTES.—1. "Bocara a City of Persia." 2. The Great Kaan's Envoys.

IV.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS TOOK THE ENVOYS' COUNSEL, AND WENT TO THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN

V.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS ARRIVED AT THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN

VI.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN ASKED ALL ABOUT THE MANNERS OF THE CHRISTIANS, AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE POPE OF ROME

NOTE.—Apostoille. The name Tartar.

VII.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN SENT THE TWO BROTHERS AS HIS ENVOYS TO THE POPE

NOTES.—1. The Great Kaan's Letter. 2. The Seven Arts. 3. Religious Indifference of the Mongol Princes.

VIII.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN GAVE THEM A TABLET OF GOLD, BEARING HIS ORDERS IN THEIR BEHALF

NOTES.—1. The Tablet. 2. The Port of Ayas.

IX.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS CAME TO THE CITY OF ACRE; AND THENCE TO VENICE

NOTES.—1. Names of the deceased Pope and of the Legate. 2. Negropont. 3. Mark's age.

X.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS AGAIN DEPARTED FROM VENICE, ON THEIR WAY BACK TO THE GREAT KAAN, AND TOOK WITH THEM MARK, THE SON OF MESSER NICOLO

NOTE.—Oil from the Holy Sepulchre.

XI.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS SET OUT FROM ACRE, AND MARK ALONG WITH THEM

NOTE.—Pope Gregory X. and his Election.

XII.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS PRESENTED THEMSELVES BEFORE THE NEW POPE

NOTES.—1. William of Tripoli. 2. Powers conceded to Missionary Friars. 3. Bundukdar and his Invasion of Armenia; his character. 4. The Templars in Cilician Armenia.

XIII.—HOW MESSER NICOLO AND MESSER MAFFEO POLO, ACCOMPANIED BY MARK, TRAVELLED TO THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN

NOTE.—The City of Kemenfu, Summer Residence of Kublai.

XIV.—HOW MESSER NICOLO AND MESSER MAFFEO POLO AND MARCO PRESENTED THEMSELVES BEFORE THE GREAT KAAN

NOTES.—1. Verbal. 2. "Vostre Homme."

XV.—HOW THE LORD SENT MARK ON AN EMBASSY OF HIS

NOTES.—1. The four Characters learned by Marco, what? 2. Ramusio's addition. 3. Nature of Marco's employment.

XVI.—HOW MARK RETURNED FROM THE MISSION WHEREON HE HAD BEEN SENT

XVII.—HOW MESSER NICOLO, MESSER MAFFEO, AND MESSER MARCO, ASKED LEAVE OF THE GREAT KAAN TO GO THEIR WAY

NOTES.—1. Risks to Foreigners on a change of Sovereign. 2. The Lady Bolgana. 3. Passage from Ramusio.

XVIII.—HOW THE TWO BROTHERS AND MESSER MARCO TOOK LEAVE OF THE GREAT KAAN, AND RETURNED TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY

NOTES.—1. Mongol Royal Messengers. 2. Mongol communication with the King of England. 3. Mediaeval Ships of China. 4. Passage from China to Sumatra. 5. Mortality among the party. 6. The Lady Cocachin in Persian History. 7. Death of the Kaan. 8. The Princess of Manzi.



BOOK FIRST.

Account of Regions Visited or heard of on the Journey from the Lesser Armenia to the Court of the Great Kaan at Chandu.

I.—HERE THE BOOK BEGINS; AND FIRST IT SPEAKS OF THE LESSER HERMENIA

NOTES.—1. Little Armenia. 2. Meaning of Chasteaux. 3. Sickliness of Cilician Coast. 4. The phrase "fra terre."

II.—CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF TURCOMANIA

NOTES.—1. Brutality of the people. 2. Application of name Turcomania. Turcoman Hordes.

III.—DESCRIPTION OF THE GREATER HERMENIA

NOTES.—1. Erzingan. Buckrams, what were they? 2. Erzrum. 3. Baiburt. 4. Ararat. 5. Oil wells of Baku.

IV.—OF GEORGIANIA AND THE KINGS THEREOF

NOTES.—1. Georgian Kings. 2. The Georgians. 3. The Iron Gates and Wall of Alexander. 4. Box forests. 5. Goshawks. 6. Fish Miracle. 7. Sea of Ghel or Ghelan. Names ending in -an. 8. Names of the Caspian, and navigation thereon. 9. Fish in the Caspian.

V.—OF THE KINGDOM OF MAUSUL

NOTES.—1. Atabeks of Mosul. 2. Nestorian and Jacobite Christians. 3. Mosolins. 4. The Kurds. 5. Mush and Mardin.

VI.—OF THE GREAT CITY OF BAUDAS, AND HOW IT WAS TAKEN

NOTES.—1. Baudas, or Baghdad. 2. Island of Kish. 3. Basra. 4. Baldachins and other silk textures; Animal patterns. 5, 6. Hulaku's Expedition. 7. The Death of the Khalif Mosta'sim. 8. Froissart.

VII.—HOW THE CALIF OF BAUDAS TOOK COUNSEL TO SLAY ALL THE CHRISTIANS IN HIS LAND

NOTES.—1. Chronology. 2. "Ses Regisles et ses Casses."

VIII.—HOW THE CHRISTIANS WERE IN GREAT DISMAY BECAUSE OF WHAT THE CALIF HAD SAID

NOTE.—The word "cralantur."

IX.—HOW THE ONE-EYED COBLER WAS DESIRED TO PRAY FOR THE CHRISTIANS

X.—HOW THE PRAYER OF THE ONE-EYED COBLER CAUSED THE MOUNTAIN TO MOVE

NOTE.—The Mountain Miracle.

XI.—OF THE NOBLE CITY OF TAURIS

NOTES.—1. Tabriz. 2. Cremesor. 3. Traffic at Tabriz. 4. The Torizi. 5. Character of City and People.

XII.—OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT BARSAMO ON THE BORDERS OF TAURIS

NOTE.—The Monastery of Barsauma.

XIII.—OF THE GREAT COUNTRY OF PERSIA; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE THREE KINGS

NOTES.—1. Kala' Atishparastan. 2. The Three Kings.

XIV.—HOW THE THREE KINGS RETURNED TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY

NOTES.—1. The three mystic Gifts. 2. The Worshipped Fire. 3. Savah and Avah. The Legend in Mas'udi. Embellishments of the Story of the Magi.

XV.—OF THE EIGHT KINGDOMS OF PERSIA, AND HOW THEY ARE NAMED

NOTES.—1. The Eight Kingdoms. 2. Export of Horses, and Prices. 3. Persian Brigands. 4. Persian wine.

XVI.—CONCERNING THE GREAT CITY OF YASDI

NOTES.—1. Yezd. 2. Yezd to Kerman. The Woods spoken of.

XVII.—CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF KERMAN

NOTES.—1. City and Province of Kerman. 2. Turquoises. 3. Ondanique or Indian Steel. 4. Manufactures of Kerman. 5. Falcons.

XVIII.—OF THE CITY OF CAMADI AND ITS RUINS; ALSO TOUCHING THE CARAUNA ROBBERS

NOTES.—1. Products of the warmer plains. 2. Humped oxen and fat-tailed sheep. 3. Scarani. 4. The Karaunahs and Nigudarian Bands. 5. Canosalmi.

XIX.—OF THE DESCENT TO THE CITY OF HORMOS

NOTES.—1. Site of Old Hormuz and Geography of the route from Kerman to Hormuz. 2. Dates and Fish Diet. 3. Stitched Vessels. "One rudder," why noticed as peculiar. 4. Great heat at Hormuz. 5. The Simum. 6. History of Hormuz, and Polo's Ruomedan Acomat. 7. Second Route between Hormuz and Kerman.

XX.—OF THE WEARISOME AND DESERT ROAD THAT HAS NOW TO BE TRAVELLED

NOTES.—1. Kerman to Kubenan. 2. Desert of Lut. 3. Subterraneous Canals.

XXI.—CONCERNING THE CITY OF COBINAN AND THE THINGS THAT ARE MADE THERE

NOTES.—1. Kuh-Banan. 2. Production of Tutia.

XXII.—OF A CERTAIN DESERT THAT CONTINUES FOR EIGHT DAYS' JOURNEY

NOTES.—1. Deserts of Khorasan. 2. The Arbre Sol or Arbre Sec.

XXIII.—CONCERNING THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN

NOTE.—The Assassins, Hashishin, or Mulahidah.

XXIV.—HOW THE OLD MAN USED TO TRAIN HIS ASSASSINS

NOTES.—1. The story widely spread. Notable murders by the Sectaries. 2. Their different branches.

XXV.—HOW THE OLD MAN CAME BY HIS END

NOTE.—History of the apparent Destruction of the Sect by Hulaku; its survival to the present time. Castles of Alamut and Girdkuh.

XXVI.—CONCERNING THE CITY OF SAPURGAN

NOTE.—Shibrgan, and the route followed. Dried Melons.

XXVII.—OF THE CITY OF BALC

NOTES.—1. Balkh. 2. Country meant by Dogana. 3. Lions in the Oxus Valley.

XXVIII.—OF TAICAN, AND THE MOUNTAINS OF SALT. ALSO OF THE PROVINCE OF CASEM

NOTES.—1. Talikan. 2. Mines of Rock-salt. 3. Ethnological characteristics. 4. Kishm. 5. Porcupines. 6. Cave dwellings. 7. Old and New Capitals of Badakhshan.

XXIX.—OF THE PROVINCE OF BADASHAN

NOTES.—1. Dialects of Badakhshan. Alexandrian lineage of the Princes. 2. Badakhshan and the Balas Ruby. 3. Azure Mines. 4. Horses of Badakhshan. 5. Naked Barley. 6. Wild sheep. 7. Scenery of Badakhshan. 8. Repeated devastation of the Country from War. 9. Amplitude of feminine garments.

XXX.—OF THE PROVINCE OF PASHAI

NOTE.—On the country intended by this name.

XXXI.—OF THE PROVINCE OF KESHIMUR

NOTES.—1. Kashmir language. 2. Kashmir Conjurers. (See App. L. 2.) 3. Importance of Kashmir in History of Buddhism. 4. Character of the People. 5. Vicissitudes of Buddhism in Kashmir. 6. Buddhist practice as to slaughter of animals. 7. Coral.

XXXII.—OF THE GREAT RIVER OF BADASHAN; AND PLAIN OF PAMIER

NOTES.—1. The Upper Oxus and Wakhan. The title Nono, (See App. L. 3.) 2. The Plateau of Pamir. (See App. L. 4 and 5.) The Great Wild Sheep. Fire at great altitudes. 3. Bolor.

XXXIII.—OF THE KINGDOM OF CASCAR

NOTE.—Kashgar.

XXXIV.—OF THE GREAT CITY OF SAMARCAN

NOTES.—1. Christians in Samarkand. 2. Chagatai's relation to Kublai mis-stated. 3. The Miracle of the Stone.

XXXV.—OF THE PROVINCE OF YARCAN

NOTE.—Yarkand. Goitre prevalent there.

XXXVI.—OF A PROVINCE CALLED COTAN

NOTES.—1. Government. 2. "Adoration of Mahommet." 3. Khotan.

XXXVII.—OF THE PROVINCE OF PEIN

NOTES.—1. Position of Pein (App. L. 6.) 2. The Yu or Jade. 3. Temporary marriages.

XXXVIII.—OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN

NOTE.—Position of Charchan and Lop.

XXXIX.—OF THE CITY OF LOP, AND THE GREAT DESERT

NOTES.—1. Geographical discrepancy. 2. Superstitions as to Deserts: their wide diffusion. The Sound of Drums on certain sandy acclivities. 3. Sha-chau to Lob-nor.

XL.—CONCERNING THE GREAT PROVINCE OF TANGUT

NOTES.—1. Tangut. 2. Buddhism encountered here. 3. Kalmak superstition, the "Heaven's Ram." 4. Chinese customs described here. 5. Mongol disposal of the Dead. 6. Superstitious practice of avoiding to carry out the dead by the house-door; its wide diffusion.

XLI.—OF THE PROVINCE OF CAMUL

NOTES.—1. Kamul. 2. Character of the people. 3. Shameless custom. 4. Parallel.

XLII.—OF THE PROVINCE OF CHINGINTALAS

NOTES.—1. The Country intended. 2. Ondanique. 3. Asbestos Mountain. 4. The four elements. 5 and 6. The Story of the Salamander. Asbestos fabrics.

XLIII.—OF THE PROVINCE OF SUKCHUR

NOTES.—1. Explanatory. 2. The City of Suhchau. 3. Rhubarb country. 4. Poisonous pasture.

XLIV.—OF THE CITY OF CAMPICHU

NOTES.—1. The City of Kanchau. 2. Recumbent Buddhas. 3. Buddhist Days of Special Worship. 4. Matrimonial Customs. 5. Textual.

XLV.—OF THE CITY OF ETZINA

NOTES.—1. Position of Yetsina. 2. Textual. 3. The Wild Ass of Mongolia.

XLVI.—OF THE CITY OF CARACORON

NOTES.—1. Karakorum. 2. Tartar. 3. Chorcha. 4. Prester John.

XLVII.—OF CHINGHIS, AND HOW HE BECAME THE FIRST KAAN OF THE TARTARS

NOTES.—1. Chronology. 2. Relations between Chinghiz and Aung Khan, the Prester John of Polo.

XLVIII.—HOW CHINGHIS MUSTERED HIS PEOPLE TO MARCH AGAINST PRESTER JOHN

XLIX.—HOW PRESTER JOHN MARCHED TO MEET CHINGHIS

NOTES.—1. Plain of Tanduc. 2. Divination by Twigs and Arrows.

L.—THE BATTLE BETWEEN CHINGHIS KAAN AND PRESTER JOHN. DEATH OF CHINGHIS

NOTE.—Real circumstances and date of the Death of Chinghiz.

LI.—OF THOSE WHO DID REIGN AFTER CHINGHIS KAAN, AND OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE TARTARS

NOTES.—1. Origin of the Cambuscan of Chaucer. 2. Historical Errors. 3. The Place of Sepulture of Chinghiz. 4. Barbarous Funeral Superstition.

LII.—CONCERNING THE CUSTOMS OF THE TARTARS

NOTES.—1. Tartar Huts. 2. Tartar Waggons. 3. Pharaoh's Rat. 4. Chastity of the Women. 5. Polygamy and Marriage Customs.

LIII.—CONCERNING THE GOD OF THE TARTARS

NOTES.—1. The old Tartar idols. 2. Kumiz.

LIV.—CONCERNING THE TARTAR CUSTOMS OF WAR

NOTES.—1. Tartar Arms. 2. The Decimal Division of their Troops. 3. Textual. 4. Blood-drinking. 5. Kurut, or Tartar Curd. 6. The Mongol military rapidity and terrorism. 7. Corruption of their Nomade simplicity.

LV.—CONCERNING THE ADMINISTERING OF JUSTICE AMONG THE TARTARS

NOTES.—1. The Cudgel. 2. Punishment of Theft. 3. Marriage of the Dead. 4. Textual.

LVI.—SUNDRY PARTICULARS ON THE PLAIN BEYOND CARACORON

NOTES.—1. Textual. 2. Bargu, the Mecrit, the Reindeer, and Chase of Water-fowl. 3. The bird Barguerlac, the Syrrhaptes. 4. Gerfalcons.

LVII.—OF THE KINGDOM OF ERGUIUL, AND PROVINCE OF SINJU

NOTES.—1. Erguiul. 2. Siningfu. 3. The Yak. 4. The Musk Deer. 5. Reeves's Pheasant.

LVIII.—OF THE KINGDOM OF EGRIGAIA

NOTES.—1. Egrigaia. 2. Calachan 3. White Camels, and Camlets: Siclatoun.

LIX.—CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF TENDUC, AND THE DESCENDANTS OF PRESTER JOHN

NOTES.—1. The name and place Tenduc. King George. 2. Standing Marriage Compact. The title Gurgan. 3. Azure. 4. The terms Argon and Guasmul. The Dungens. 5. The Rampart of Gog and Magog. 6. Tartary cloths. 7. Siuen-hwa fu.

LX.—CONCERNING THE KAAN'S PALACE OF CHAGANNOR.

NOTES.—1. Palace. 2. The word Sesnes. 3. Chagan-nor. 4. The five species of Crane described by Polo. 5. The word Cator.

LXI.—OF THE CITY OF CHANDU, AND THE KAAN'S PALACE THERE

NOTES.—1. Two Roads. 2. Chandu, properly Shangtu. 3. Leopards. 4. The Bamboo Palace. Uses of the Bamboo. 5. Kublai's Annual Migration to Shangtu. 6. The White Horses. The Oirad Tribe. 7. The Mare's Milk Festival. 8. Weather Conjuring. 9. Ascription of Cannibalism to Tibetans, etc. 10. The term Bacsi. 11. Magical Feats ascribed to the Lamas. 12. Lamas. 13. Vast extent of Lama Convents. 14. Married Lamas. 15. Bran. 16. Patarins. 17. The Ascetics called Sensin. 18. Textual. 19. Tao-sze Idols.



BOOK SECOND.

PART I.

I.—OF CUBLAY KAAN, THE GREAT KAAN NOW REIGNING, AND OF HIS GREAT PUISSANCE

NOTE.—Eulogies of Kublai.

II.—CONCERNING THE REVOLT OF NAYAN, WHO WAS UNCLE TO THE GREAT KAAN CUBLAY

NOTES.—1. Chronology. 2. Kublai's Age. 3. His Wars. 4. Nayan and his true relationship to Kublai.

III.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN MARCHED AGAINST NAYAN

NOTE.—Addition from Ramusio.

IV.—OF THE BATTLE THAT THE GREAT KAAN FOUGHT WITH NAYAN

NOTES.—1. The word Bretesche. 2. Explanatory. 3. The Nakkara. 4. Parallel Passages. 5. Verbal. 6. The Story of Nayan. (See App. L. 7.)

V.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSED NAYAN TO BE PUT TO DEATH

NOTES.—1. The Shedding of Royal blood avoided. 2. Chorcha, Kaoli, Barskul, Sikintinju. 3. Jews in China.

VI.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN WENT BACK TO THE CITY OF CAMBALUC

NOTE.—Passage from Ramusio respecting the Kaan's views of Religion. Remarks.

VII.—HOW THE KAAN REWARDED THE VALOUR OF HIS CAPTAINS

NOTES.—1. Parallel from Sanang Setzen. 2. The Golden Honorary Tablets or Paizah of the Mongols. 3. Umbrellas. 4. The Gerfalcon Tablets.

VIII.—CONCERNING THE PERSON OF THE GREAT KAAN

NOTES.—1. Colour of his Eyes. 2. His Wives. 3. The Kungurat Tribe. Competitive Examination in Beauty.

IX.—CONCERNING THE GREAT KAAN'S SONS

NOTES.—1. Kublai's intended Heir. 2. His other Sons.

X.—CONCERNING THE PALACE OF THE GREAT KAAN

NOTES.—1. Palace Wall. 2. The word Tarcasci 3. Towers. 4. Arsenals of the Palace. 5. The Gates. 6. Various Readings. 7. Barracks. 8. Wide diffusion of the kind of Palace here described. 9. Parallel description. 10. "Divine" Park. 11. Modern account of the Lake, etc. 12. "Roze de l'acur." 13. The Green Mount. 14. Textual. 15. Bridge.

XI.—CONCERNING THE CITY OF CAMBALUC

NOTES.—1. Chronology, etc., of Peking. 2. The City Wall. 3. Changes in the Extent of the City. 4. Its ground plan. 5. Aspect. 6. Public Towers. 7. Addition from Ramusio.

XII.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN MAINTAINS A GUARD OF TWELVE THOUSAND HORSE, WHICH ARE CALLED KESHICAN

NOTE.—The term Quescican.

XIII.—THE FASHION OF THE GREAT KAAN'S TABLE AT HIS HIGH FEASTS

NOTES.—1. Order of the Tables. 2. The word Vernique. 3. The Buffet of Liquors. 4. The superstition of the Threshold. 5. Chinese Etiquettes. 6. Jugglers at the Banquet.

XIV.—CONCERNING THE GREAT FEAST HELD BY THE GRAND KAAN EVERY YEAR ON HIS BIRTHDAY

NOTES.—1. The Chinese Year. 2. "Beaten Gold." 3. Textual. Festal changes of costume. 4. Festivals.

XV.—OF THE GREAT FESTIVAL WHICH THE KAAN HOLDS ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

NOTES.—1. The White Month. 2. Mystic value of the number 9. 3. Elephants at Peking. 4. Adoration of Tablets. K'o-tow.

XVI.—CONCERNING THE TWELVE THOUSAND BARONS WHO RECEIVE ROBES OF CLOTH OF GOLD FROM THE EMPEROR ON THE GREAT FESTIVALS, THIRTEEN CHANGES A-PIECE

NOTES.—1. Textual. 2. The words Camut and Borgal. 3. Tame Lions.

XVII.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN ENJOINETH HIS PEOPLE TO SUPPLY HIM WITH GAME

NOTE.—Parallel Passage.

XVIII.—OF THE LIONS AND LEOPARDS AND WOLVES THAT THE KAAN KEEPS FOR THE CHASE

NOTES.—1. The Cheeta or Hunting Leopard. 2. Lynxes. 3. The Tiger, termed Lion by Polo. 4. The Burgut Eagle.

XIX.—CONCERNING THE TWO BROTHERS WHO HAVE CHARGE OF THE KAAN'S HOUNDS

NOTE.—The Masters of the Hounds, and their title.

XX.—HOW THE EMPEROR GOES ON A HUNTING EXPEDITION

NOTES.—1. Direction of the Tour. 2. Hawking Establishments. 3. The word Toskaul. 4. The word Bularguchi. 5. Kublai's Litter. 6. Kachar Modun. 7. The Kaan's Great Tents. 8. The Sable and Ermine. 9. Petis de la Croix.

XXI.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN, ON RETURNING FROM HIS HUNTING EXPEDITION, HOLDS A GREAT COURT AND ENTERTAINMENT

NOTE.—This chapter peculiar to the 2nd Type of MSS.

XXII.—CONCERNING THE CITY OF CAMBALUC, AND ITS GREAT TRAFFIC AND POPULATION

NOTES.—1. Suburbs of Peking. 2. The word Fondaco.

XXIII.—[CONCERNING THE OPPRESSIONS OF ACHMATH THE BAILO, AND THE PLOT THAT WAS FORMED AGAINST HIM]

NOTES.—1. Chapter peculiar to Ramusio. 2. Kublai's Administration. The Rise of Ahmad. 3. The term Bailo. 4. The Conspiracy against Ahmad as related by Gaubil from the Chinese. 5. Marco's presence and upright conduct commemorated in the Chinese Annals. The Kaan's prejudice against Mahomedans.

XXIV.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSETH THE BARK OF TREES, MADE INTO SOMETHING LIKE PAPER, TO PASS FOR MONEY OVER ALL HIS COUNTRY

NOTE.—Chinese Paper Currency.

XXV.—CONCERNING THE TWELVE BARONS WHO ARE SET OVER ALL THE AFFAIRS OF THE GREAT KAAN

NOTE.—The Ministers of the Mongol Dynasty. The term Sing.

XXVI.—HOW THE KAAN'S POSTS AND RUNNERS ARE SPED THROUGH MANY LANDS AND PROVINCES

NOTES.—1. Textual. 2. The word Yam. 3. Government Hostelries. 4. Digression from Ramusio. 5. Posts Extraordinary. 6. Discipline of the Posts. 7. Antiquity of Posts in China, etc.

XXVII.—HOW THE EMPEROR BESTOWS HELP ON HIS PEOPLE, WHEN THEY ARE AFFLICTED WITH DEARTH OR MURRAIN

NOTE.—Kublai's remissions, and justice.

XXVIII.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSES TREES TO BE PLANTED BY THE HIGHWAYS

NOTE.—Kublai's Avenues.

XXIX.—CONCERNING THE RICE-WINE DRUNK BY THE PEOPLE OF CATHAY

NOTE.—Rice-wine.

XXX.—CONCERNING THE BLACK STONES THAT ARE DUG IN CATHAY, AND ARE BURNT FOR FUEL

NOTE.—Distribution and Consumption of Coal in China.

XXXI.—HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSES STORES OF CORN TO BE MADE, TO HELP HIS PEOPLE WITHAL IN TIME OF DEARTH

NOTE.—The Chinese Public Granaries.

XXXII.—OF THE CHARITY OF THE EMPEROR TO THE POOR.

NOTE.—Buddhist influence, and Chinese Charities.

XXXIII.—[CONCERNING THE ASTROLOGERS IN THE CITY OF CAMBALUC]

NOTES.—1. The word Tacuin.—The Chinese Almanacs. The Observatory. 2. The Chinese and Mongol Cycle.

XXXIV.—[CONCERNING THE RELIGION OF THE CATHAYANS; THEIR VIEWS AS TO THE SOUL; AND THEIR CUSTOMS]

NOTES.—1. Textual. 2. Do. 3. Exceptions to the general charge of Irreligion brought against the Chinese. 4. Politeness. 5. Filial Piety. 6. Pocket Spitoons.



EXPLANATORY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOLUME I.

INSERTED PLATES AND MAPS.

Portrait of Sir HENRY YULE. From the Painting by Mr. T. B. Wirgman, in the Royal Engineers' Mess House at Chatham.

Illuminated Title, with Medallion representing the POLOS ARRIVING AT VENICE after 26 years' absence, and being refused admittance to the Family Mansion; as related by Ramusio, p. 4 of Introductory Essay. Drawn by Signor QUINTO CENNI, No. 7 Via Solferino, Milan; from a Design by the Editor.

DOORWAY of the HOUSE of MARCO POLO in the Corte Sabbionera at Venice. Woodcut from a drawing by Signor L. ROSSO, Venice.

Corte del Milione, Venice.

Malibran Theatre, Venice.

Entrance to the Corte del Milione, Venice. From photographs taken for the present editor, by Signor NAYA.

Figures from St. Sabba's, sent to Venice. From a photograph of Signor NAYA.

Church of SAN MATTEO, at Genoa.

Palazzo di S. Giorgio, at Genoa.

Miracle of S. Lorenzo. From the Painting by V. CARPACCIO.

Facsimile of the WILL of MARCO POLO, preserved in St. Mark's Library. Lithographed from a photograph specially taken by Bertani at Venice.

Pavement in front of S. Lorenzo.

Mosaic Portrait of Marco Polo, at Genoa.

The Pseudo Marco Polo at Canton.

Porcelain Incense-Burner, from the Louvre.

Temple of 500 Genii, at Canton, after a drawing by FELIX REGAMEY.

Probable view of MARCO POLO'S OWN GEOGRAPHY: a Map of the World, formed as far as possible from the Traveller's own data. Drawn by the Editor.

Part of the Catalan Map of 1375.

Marco Polo's Itineraries, No. 1. WESTERN ASIA. This includes also "Sketch showing the chief Monarchies of Asia, in the latter part of the 13th century."

Map illustrating the geographical position of the CITY of SARAI. Plan of part of the remains of the same city. Reduced from a Russian plan published by M. Grigorieff.

Reduced FACSIMILE of the BUDDHIST INSCRIPTION of the Mongol Era, on the Archway at KIU-YONG KWAN in the Pass of Nan-k'au, north-west of Peking, showing the characters in use under the Mongol Dynasty. Photogravure from the Recueil des documents de l'Epoque Mongole, by H.H. Prince ROLAND BONAPARTE. See an Article by Mr. Wylie in the J. R. A. S. for 1870, p. 14.

Plan of AYAS, the Laias of Polo. From an Admiralty Chart. Plan of position of DILAWAR, the supposed site of the Dilavar of Polo. Ext. from a Survey by Lt.-Col. D. G. Robinson, R.E.

Marco Polo's Itineraries, No. II. Routes between KERMAN and HORMUZ.

Marco Polo's Itineraries, No. III. Regions on and near the UPPER OXUS.

Heading, in the old Chinese seal-character, of an INSCRIPTION on a Memorial raised by Kublai Kaan to a Buddhist Ecclesiastic, in the vicinity of his summer-palace at SHANGTU in Mongolia. Reduced from a facsimile obtained on the spot by Dr. S. W. Bushell, 1872, and by him lent to the Editor.

The CHO-KHANG. The grand Temple of Buddha at Lhasa, from The Journey to Lhasa, by SARAT CHANDRA DAS, by kind permission of the Royal Geographical Society.

"Table d'Or de Commandement;" the PAIZA of the MONGOLS, from a specimen found in Siberia. Reduced to one-half the scale of the original, from an engraving in a paper by I. J. Schmidt in the Bulletin de la Classe Historico-Philologique de l'Acad. Imp. des Sciences, St. Petersbourg, tom. iv. No. 9.

Second Example of a Mongol Paiza with superscription in the Uighur character, found near the Dnieper River, 1845. From Trans. of the Oriental Section, Imp. Soc. of Archaeology of St. Petersburg, vol. v. The Inscription on this runs: "By the strength of Eternal Heaven, and thanks to Its Great Power, the Man who obeys not the order of Abdullah shall be guilty, shall die."

Plan of PEKING as it is, and as it was about A.D. 1290.

BANK-NOTE of the MING Dynasty, on one-half the scale of the original. Reduced from a genuine note in the possession of the British Museum. Was brought back from Peking after the siege of the Legations in 1900.

Mongol "Compendium Instrument."

Mongol Armillary Sphere.

Observatory Terrace.

Observatory Instruments of the Jesuits. All these from photographs kindly lent to the present Editor by Count de Semalle.

Marco Polo's Itineraries. No. IV. EASTERN ASIA. This includes also Sketch Map of the Ruins of SHANGTU, after Dr. BUSHELL; and Enlarged Sketch of the Passage of the Hwang-ho or Karamoran on the road to Si-ngan fu (see vol. ii. pp. 25-27) from the data of Baron von Richthofen.



WOODCUTS PRINTED WITH THE TEXT.

INTRODUCTORY NOTICES.

A MEDIAEVAL SHIP.

COAT OF ARMS of SIR HENRY YULE.

ARMS of the POLO family, according to Priuli.

ARMS of the POLO family, according to Marco Barbaro. (See p. 7, note.)

Autograph of HETHUM or HAYTON I. King of (Cicilian) Armenia; copied from Codice Diplomatico del Sacro Militare Ordine Gerosolemitano, I. 135. The signature is attached to a French document without date, granting the King's Daughter "Damoiselle Femie" (Euphemia) in marriage to Sire Julian, son of the Lady of Sayete (Sidon). The words run: Thagavor Haiwetz ("Rex Armenorum"), followed by the King's cypher or monogram; but the initial letter is absent, probably worn off the original document.

The PIAZZETTA at VENICE in the 14th century. From a portion of the Frontispiece Miniature of the MS. of Marco Polo in the Bodleian. (Borrowed from the National Miscellany, published by J. H. Parker, Oxford, for 1853-55; and see Street's Brick and Marble, etc., 1855, pp. 150-151.) [See vol. ii. p. 529.]

Three extracts from MAPS of VENICE, showing the site of the CA' POLO at three different periods, (1) From the great woodcut Map or View of Venice, dated 1500, and commonly called Albert Duerer's. (2) From a Plan by Cav. Ludovico Ughi, 1729. (3) From the Modern Official Plan of the City.

Diagram of arrangement of oars in galleys.

Extract from a fresco by SPINELLO ARETINI, in the Municipal Palace at Siena, representing a GALLEY FIGHT (perhaps imaginary) between the Venetians and the fleet of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and illustrating the arrangements of mediaeval galleys. Drawn from a very dim and imperfect photograph, after personal study of the original, by the Editor.

Extract from a picture by DOMENICO TINTORETTO in the Ducal Palace at Venice, representing the same GALLEY-FIGHT. After an engraving in the Theatrum Venetum.

MARCO POLO'S GALLEY going into action at CURZOLA. Drawn by Signor Q. CENNI, from a design by the Editor.

Map to illustrate the SEA-FIGHT at CURZOLA, where Marco Polo was taken prisoner.

SEAL of the PISAN PRISONERS in Genoa, after the battle of Meloria (1284). From Manni, Osservazioni Storiche sopra Sigilli Antichi, tom. xii. Engraved by T. ADENEY.

The Convent and CHURCH of S. LORENZO, the burial-place of Marco Polo, as it existed in the 15th century. From the Map of 1500 (see above). Engraved by the same.

Arms of the TREVISAN family, according to Priuli.

TAILED STAR near the Antarctic, as Marco Polo drew it for Pietro d'Abano. From the Conciliator of Pietro d'Abano.

PROLOGUE.

Remains of the Castle of SOLDAIA or Sudak. After Dubois de Montpereux, Voyage autour du Caucase, Atlas, 3d s. Pl. 64.

Ruins of BOLGHAR. After Demidoff, Voyage dans la Russie Meridionale, Pl. 75.

The GREAT KAAN delivering a GOLDEN TABLET to the two elder Polos. From a miniature in the Livre des Merveilles du Monde (Fr. 2810) in the Library at Paris, fol. 3 verso.

Castle of AYAS. After Langlois, Voyage en Cilicie.

Plan of ACRE as it was when lost (A.D. 1291). Reduced and translated from the contemporary plan in the Secreta Fidelium Crucis of Marino Sanudo the Elder, engraved in Bongars, Gesta Dei per Francos, vol. ii.

Portrait of Pope GREGORY X. After J. B. de Cavaleriis Pontificum Romanorum Effigies, etc. Romae, 1580.

Ancient CHINESE WAR VESSEL. From the Chinese Encyclopaedia called San-Thsai-Thou-Hoei, in the Paris Library.

BOOK FIRST.

Coin of King HETUM I. and Queen ISABEL of Cilician Armenia. From an original in the British Museum. Engraved by ADENEY.

Castle of BAIBURT. After Texier, L'Armenie, Pl. 3.

Mediaeval GEORGIAN FORTRESS. From a drawing by Padre CRISTOFORO DI CASTELLI of the Theatine Mission, made in 1634, and now in the Communal Library at Palermo. The name of the place has been eaten away, and I have not yet been able to ascertain it.

View of DERBEND. After a cut from a drawing by M. Moynet in the Tour du Monde, vol. i.

Coin of BADRUDDIN LOLO of Mosul (A.H. 620). After Marsden's Numismata Orientalia, No. 164. By ADENEY.

GHAZAN Khan's Mosque at TABRIZ. Borrowed from Fergusson's History of Architecture.

KASHMIR SCARF with animals, etc. After photograph from the scarf in the Indian Museum.

Humped Oxen from the Assyrian Sculptures at Kouyunjik. From Rawlinson's Ancient Monarchies.

Portrait of a Hazara. From a Photograph, kindly taken for the purpose, by M.-Gen. C. P. Keyes, C.B., Commanding the Panjab Frontier Force.

Illustrations of the use of the DOUBLE RUDDER in the Middle Ages. 7 figures, viz., No. 1, The Navicello of Giotto in the Porch of St. Peter's. From Eastlake's H. of Painting; Nos. 2 and 3, from Pertz, Scriptores, tom. xviii. after a Genoese Chronicle; No. 4, Sketch from fresco of Spinello Aretini at Siena; No. 5, Seal of Port of Winchelsea, from Sussex Archaeological Collections, vol. i. 1848; No. 6, Sculpture on Leaning Tower at Pisa, after Jal, Archeologie Navale; No. 7, from the Monument of Peter Martyr, the persecutor of the Lombard Patarini, in the Church of St. Eustorgius at Milan, after Le Tombe ed i Monumenti Illustri d'Italia, Mil. 1822-23.

The ARBRE SEC, and ARBRES DU SOLEIL ET DE LA LUNE. From a miniature in the Prose Romance of Alexander, in the Brit. Museum MS. called the Shrewsbury Book (Reg. xv. e. 6).

The CHINAR or Oriental Plane, viz., that called the Tree of Godfrey of Boulogne at Buyukdere, near Constantinople. Borrowed from Le Monde Vegetal of Figuier.

Portrait of H. H. AGHA KHAN MEHELATI, late representative of the OLD MAN of the MOUNTAIN. From a photograph by Messrs. SHEPHERD and BOURNE.

Ancient SILVER PATERA of debased Greek Art, formerly in the possession of the Princes of BADAKHSHAN, now in the India Museum.

Ancient BUDDHIST Temple at Pandrethan in KASHMIR. Borrowed from Fergusson's History of Architecture.

Horns of the OVIS POLI, or Great Sheep of Pamir. Drawn by the Editor from the specimen belonging to the Royal Asiatic Society.

Figure of the OVIS POLI or Great Sheep of Pamir. From a drawing by Mr. Severtsof in a Russian publication.

Head of a native of KASHGAR. After Verchaguine. From the Tour du Monde.

View of KASHGAR. From Mr. R. Shaw's Tartary.

View of SAMARKAND. From a Sketch by Mr. D. IVANOFF, engraved in a Russian Illustrated Paper (kindly sent by Mr. I. to the editor).

Colossal Figure; BUDDHA entering NIRVANA. Sketched by the Editor at Pagan in Burma.

Great LAMA MONASTERY, viz., that at Jehol. After Staunton's Narrative of Lord Macartney's Embassy.

The Kyang, or WILD ASS of Mongolia. After a plate by Wolf in the Journal of the Royal Zoological Society.

The Situation of Karakorum.

Entrance to the Erdeni Tso, Great Temple. From MARCEL MONNIER'S Tour d' Asie, by kind permission of M. PLON.

Death of Chinghiz Khan. From a Miniature in the Livre des Merveilles.

Dressing up a Tent, from MARCEL MONNIER'S Tour d' Asie, by kind permission of M. PLON.

Mediaeval TARTAR HUTS and WAGGONS. Drawn by Sig. QUINTO CENNI, on a design compiled by the Editor from the descriptions of mediaeval and later travellers.

Tartar IDOLS and KUMIS Churn. Drawn by the Editor after data in Pallas and Zaleski (Vie des Steppes Kirghiz).

The SYRRHAPTES PALLASII; Bargherlac of Marco Polo. From a plate by Wolf in the Ibis for April, 1860.

REEVES'S PHEASANT. After an engraving in Wood's Illustrated Natural History.

The RAMPART of GOG and MAGOG. From a photograph of the Great Wall of China. Borrowed from Dr. Rennie's Peking and the Pekingese.

A PAVILION at Yuen-Ming-Yuen, to illustrate the probable style of Kublai Kaan's Summer Palace. Borrowed from Michie's Siberian Overland Route.

CHINESE CONJURING Extraordinary. Extracted from an engraving in Edward Melton's Zeldzaame Reizen, etc. Amsterdam, 1702.

A MONASTERY of LAMAS. Borrowed from the Tour du Monde.

A TIBETAN BACSI. Sketched from the life by the Editor.

BOOK SECOND.—PART FIRST.

NAKKARAS. From a Chinese original in the Lois des Empereurs Mandchous (Thai-Thsing-Hoei-Tien-Thou), in the Paris Library.

NAKKARAS. After one of the illustrations in Blochmann's edition of the Ain-i-Akbari.

Seljukian Coin, with the LION and the SUN (A.H. 640). After Marsden's Numismata Orientalia, No. 98. Engraved by Adeney.

Sculptured GERFALCON from the Gate of Iconium. Copied from Hammer's Falknerklee.

Portrait of the Great KAAN KUBLAI. From a Chinese engraving in the Encyclopaedia called San Thsai-Thou-Hoei; in the Paris Library.

Ideal Plan of the Ancient Palaces of the Mongol Emperors at Khanbaligh, according to Dr. Bretschneider.

Palace at Khan-baligh. From the Livre des Merveilles.

The WINTER PALACE at PEKING. Borrowed from Fergusson's History of Architecture.

View of the "GREEN MOUNT." From a photograph kindly lent to the present Editor by Count de SEMALLE.

The Yuean ch'eng. From a photograph kindly lent to the present Editor by Count de SEMALLE.

South GATE of the "IMPERIAL CITY" at Peking. From an original sketch belonging to the late Dr. W. Lockhart.

The BUGUT EAGLE. After Atkinson's Oriental and Western Siberia.

The TENTS of the EMPEROR K'ien-lung. From a drawing in the Staunton Collection in the British Museum.

Plain of CAMBALUC; the City in the distance; from the hills on the north-west. From a photograph. Borrowed from Dr. Rennie's Peking.

The Great TEMPLE OF HEAVEN at Peking. From Michie's Siberian Overland Route.

MARBLE ARCHWAY erected under the MONGOL DYNASTY at Kiu-Yong Kwan in the Nan-k'au Pass, N.W. of Peking. From a photograph in the possession of the present Editor.



MARCO POLO AND HIS BOOK.



INTRODUCTORY NOTICES.



I. OBSCURITIES IN THE HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND BOOK. RAMUSIO'S STATEMENTS.



[Sidenote: Obscurities of Polo's Book, and personal History.]

1. With all the intrinsic interest of Marco Polo's Book it may perhaps be doubted if it would have continued to exercise such fascination on many minds through succesive generations were it not for the difficult questions which it suggests. It is a great book of puzzles, whilst our confidence in the man's veracity is such that we feel certain every puzzle has a solution.

And such difficulties have not attached merely to the identification of places, the interpretation of outlandish terms, or the illustration of obscure customs; for strange entanglements have perplexed also the chief circumstances of the Traveller's life and authorship. The time of the dictation of his Book and of the execution of his Last Will have been almost the only undisputed epochs in his biography. The year of his birth has been contested, and the date of his death has not been recorded; the critical occasion of his capture by the Genoese, to which we seem to owe the happy fact that he did not go down mute to the tomb of his fathers, has been made the subject of chronological difficulties; there are in the various texts of his story variations hard to account for; the very tongue in which it was written down has furnished a question, solved only in our own age, and in a most unexpected manner.

[Sidenote: Ramusio, his earliest biographer. His account of Polo.]

2. The first person who attempted to gather and string the facts of Marco Polo's personal history was his countryman, the celebrated John Baptist Ramusio. His essay abounds in what we now know to be errors of detail, but, prepared as it was when traditions of the Traveller were still rife in Venice, a genuine thread runs through it which could never have been spun in later days, and its presentation seems to me an essential element in any full discourse upon the subject.

Ramusio's preface to the Book of Marco Polo, which opens the second volume of his famous Collection of Voyages and Travels, and is addressed to his learned friend Jerome Fracastoro, after referring to some of the most noted geographers of antiquity, proceeds:[1]—

"Of all that I have named, Ptolemy, as the latest, possessed the greatest extent of knowledge. Thus, towards the North, his knowledge carries him beyond the Caspian, and he is aware of its being shut in all round like a lake,—a fact which was unknown in the days of Strabo and Pliny, though the Romans were already lords of the world. But though his knowledge extends so far, a tract of 15 degrees beyond that sea he can describe only as Terra Incognita; and towards the South he is fain to apply the same character to all beyond the Equinoxial. In these unknown regions, as regards the South, the first to make discoveries have been the Portuguese captains of our own age; but as regards the North and North-East the discoverer was the Magnifico Messer Marco Polo, an honoured nobleman of Venice, nearly 300 years since, as may be read more fully in his own Book. And in truth it makes one marvel to consider the immense extent of the journeys made, first by the Father and Uncle of the said Messer Marco, when they proceeded continually towards the East- North-East, all the way to the Court of the Great Can and the Emperor of the Tartars; and afterwards again by the three of them when, on their return homeward, they traversed the Eastern and Indian Seas. Nor is that all, for one marvels also how the aforesaid gentleman was able to give such an orderly description of all that he had seen; seeing that such an accomplishment was possessed by very few in his day, and he had had a large part of his nurture among those uncultivated Tartars, without any regular training in the art of composition. His Book indeed, owing to the endless errors and inaccuracies that had crept into it, had come for many years to be regarded as fabulous; and the opinion prevailed that the names of cities and provinces contained therein were all fictitious and imaginary, without any ground in fact, or were (I might rather say) mere dreams.

[Sidenote: Ramusio vindicates Polo's Geography.]

3. "Howbeit, during the last hundred years, persons acquainted with Persia have begun to recognise the existence of Cathay. The voyages of the Portuguese also towards the North-East, beyond the Golden Chersonese, have brought to knowledge many cities and provinces of India, and many islands likewise, with those very names which our Author applies to them; and again, on reaching the Land of China, they have ascertained from the people of that region (as we are told by Sign. John de Barros, a Portuguese gentleman, in his Geography) that Canton, one of the chief cities of that kingdom, is in 30-2/3 deg. of latitude, with the coast running N.E. and S.W.; that after a distance of 275 leagues the said coast turns towards the N.W.; and that there are three provinces along the sea-board, Mangi, Zanton, and Quinzai, the last of which is the principal city and the King's Residence, standing in 46 deg. of latitude. And proceeding yet further the coast attains to 50 deg..[2] Seeing then how many particulars are in our day becoming known of that part of the world concerning which Messer Marco has written, I have deemed it reasonable to publish his book, with the aid of several copies written (as I judge) more than 200 years ago, in a perfectly accurate form, and one vastly more faithful than that in which it has been heretofore read. And thus the world shall not lose the fruit that may be gathered from so much diligence and industry expended upon so honourable a branch of knowledge."

4. Ramusio, then, after a brief apologetic parallel of the marvels related by Polo with those related by the Ancients and by the modern discoverers in the West, such as Columbus and Cortes, proceeds:—

[Sidenote: Ramusio compares Polo with Columbus.]

And often in my own mind, comparing the land explorations of these our Venetian gentlemen with the sea explorations of the aforesaid Signor Don Christopher, I have asked myself which of the two were really the more marvellous. And if patriotic prejudice delude me not, methinks good reason might be adduced for setting the land journey above the sea voyage. Consider only what a height of courage was needed to undertake and carry through so difficult an enterprise, over a route of such desperate length and hardship, whereon it was sometimes necessary to carry food for the supply of man and beast, not for days only but for months together. Columbus, on the other hand, going by sea, readily carried with him all necessary provision; and after a voyage of some 30 or 40 days was conveyed by the wind whither he desired to go, whilst the Venetians again took a whole year's time to pass all those great deserts and mighty rivers. Indeed that the difficulty of travelling to Cathay was so much greater than that of reaching the New World, and the route so much longer and more perilous, may be gathered from the fact that, since those gentlemen twice made this journey, no one from Europe has dared to repeat it,[3] whereas in the very year following the discovery of the Western Indies many ships immediately retraced the voyage thither, and up to the present day continue to do so, habitually and in countless numbers. Indeed those regions are now so well known, and so thronged by commerce, that the traffic between Italy, Spain, and England is not greater.

[Sidenote: Recounts a tradition of the travellers' return to Venice.]

5. Ramusio goes on to explain the light regarding the first part or prologue of Marco Polo's book that he had derived from a recent piece of luck which had made him partially acquainted with the geography of Abulfeda, and to make a running commentary on the whole of the preliminary narrative until the final return of the travellers to Venice:—

"And when they got thither the same fate befel them as befel Ulysses, who, when he returned, after his twenty years' wanderings, to his native Ithaca, was recognized by nobody. Thus also those three gentlemen who had been so many years absent from their native city were recognized by none of their kinsfolk, who were under the firm belief that they had all been dead for many a year past, as indeed had been reported. Through the long duration and the hardships of their journeys, and through the many worries and anxieties that they had undergone, they were quite changed in aspect, and had got a certain indescribable smack of the Tartar both in air and accent, having indeed all but forgotten their Venetian tongue. Their clothes too were coarse and shabby, and of a Tartar cut. They proceeded on their arrival to their house in this city in the confine of St. John Chrysostom, where you may see it to this day. The house, which was in those days a very lofty and handsome palazzo, is now known by the name of the Corte del Millioni for a reason that I will tell you presently. Going thither they found it occupied by some of their relatives, and they had the greatest difficulty in making the latter understand who they should be. For these good people, seeing them to be in countenance so unlike what they used to be, and in dress so shabby, flatly refused to believe that they were those very gentlemen of the Ca' Polo whom they had been looking upon for ever so many years as among the dead.[4] So these three gentlemen,—this is a story I have often heard when I was a youngster from the illustrious Messer GASPARO MALPIERO, a gentleman of very great age, and a Senator of eminent virtue and integrity, whose house was on the Canal of Santa Marina, exactly at the corner over the mouth of the Rio di S. Giovanni Chrisostomo, and just midway among the buildings of the aforesaid Corte del Millioni, and he said he had heard the story from his own father and grandfather, and from other old men among the neighbours,—the three gentlemen, I say, devised a scheme by which they should at once bring about their recognition by their relatives, and secure the honourable notice of the whole city; and this was it:—

"They invited a number of their kindred to an entertainment, which they took care to have prepared with great state and splendour in that house of theirs; and when the hour arrived for sitting down to table they came forth of their chamber all three clothed in crimson satin, fashioned in long robes reaching to the ground such as people in those days wore within doors. And when water for the hands had been served, and the guests were set, they took off those robes and put on others of crimson damask, whilst the first suits were by their orders cut up and divided among the servants. Then after partaking of some of the dishes they went out again and came back in robes of crimson velvet, and when they had again taken their seats, the second suits were divided as before. When dinner was over they did the like with the robes of velvet, after they had put on dresses of the ordinary fashion worn by the rest of the company.[5] These proceedings caused much wonder and amazement among the guests. But when the cloth had been drawn, and all the servants had been ordered to retire from the dining hall, Messer Marco, as the youngest of the three, rose from table, and, going into another chamber, brought forth the three shabby dresses of coarse stuff which they had worn when they first arrived. Straightway they took sharp knives and began to rip up some of the seams and welts, and to take out of them jewels of the greatest value in vast quantities, such as rubies, sapphires, carbuncles, diamonds and emeralds, which had all been stitched up in those dresses in so artful a fashion that nobody could have suspected the fact. For when they took leave of the Great Can they had changed all the wealth that he had bestowed upon them into this mass of rubies, emeralds, and other jewels, being well aware of the impossibility of carrying with them so great an amount in gold over a journey of such extreme length and difficulty. Now this exhibition of such a huge treasure of jewels and precious stones, all tumbled out upon the table, threw the guests into fresh amazement, insomuch that they seemed quite bewildered and dumbfounded. And now they recognized that in spite of all former doubts these were in truth those honoured and worthy gentlemen of the Ca' Polo that they claimed to be; and so all paid them the greatest honour and reverence. And when the story got wind in Venice, straightway the whole city, gentle and simple, flocked to the house to embrace them, and to make much of them, with every conceivable demonstration of affection and respect. On Messer Maffio, who was the eldest, they conferred the honours of an office that was of great dignity in those days; whilst the young men came daily to visit and converse with the ever polite and gracious Messer Marco, and to ask him questions about Cathay and the Great Can, all which he answered with such kindly courtesy that every man felt himself in a manner his debtor. And as it happened that in the story, which he was constantly called on to repeat, of the magnificence of the Great Can, he would speak of his revenues as amounting to ten or fifteen millions of gold; and in like manner, when recounting other instances of great wealth in those parts, would always make use of the term millions, so they gave him the nickname of MESSER MARCO MILLIONI: a thing which I have noted also in the Public Books of this Republic where mention is made of him.[6] The Court of his House, too, at S. Giovanni Chrisostomo, has always from that time been popularly known as the Court of the Millioni.

[Sidenote: Recounts Marco's capture by the Genoese.]

6. "Not many months after the arrival of the travellers at Venice, news came that LAMPA DORIA, Captain of the Genoese Fleet, had advanced with 70 galleys to the Island of Curzola, upon which orders were issued by the Prince of the Most Illustrious Signory for the arming of 90 galleys with all the expedition possible, and Messer Marco Polo for his valour was put in charge of one of these. So he with the others, under the command of the Most Illustrious MESSER ANDREA DANDOLO, Procurator of St. Mark's, as Captain General, a very brave and worthy gentleman, set out in search of the Genoese Fleet. They fought on the September feast of Our Lady, and, as is the common hazard of war, our fleet was beaten, and Polo was made prisoner. For, having pressed on in the vanguard of the attack, and fighting with high and worthy courage in defence of his country and his kindred, he did not receive due support, and being wounded, he was taken, along with Dandolo, and immediately put in irons and sent to Genoa.

"When his rare qualities and marvellous travels became known there, the whole city gathered to see him and to speak with him, and he was no longer entreated as a prisoner but as a dear friend and honoured gentleman. Indeed they showed him such honour and affection that at all hours of the day he was visited by the noblest gentlemen of the city, and was continually receiving presents of every useful kind. Messer Marco finding himself in this position, and witnessing the general eagerness to hear all about Cathay and the Great Can, which indeed compelled him daily to repeat his story till he was weary, was advised to put the matter in writing. So having found means to get a letter written to his father here at Venice, in which he desired the latter to send the notes and memoranda which he had brought home with him, after the receipt of these, and assisted by a Genoese gentleman, who was a great friend of his, and who took great delight in learning about the various regions of the world, and used on that account to spend many hours daily in the prison with him, he wrote this present book (to please him) in the Latin tongue.

"To this day the Genoese for the most part write what they have to write in that language, for there is no possibility of expressing their natural dialect with the pen.[7] Thus then it came to pass that the Book was put forth at first by Messer Marco in Latin; but as many copies were taken, and as it was rendered into our vulgar tongue, all Italy became filled with it, so much was this story desired and run after.

[Sidenote: Ramusio's account of Marco's liberation and marriage.]

7. "The captivity of Messer Marco greatly disturbed the minds of Messer Maffio and his father Messer Nicolo. They had decided, whilst still on their travels, that Marco should marry as soon as they should get to Venice; but now they found themselves in this unlucky pass, with so much wealth and nobody to inherit it. Fearing that Marco's imprisonment might endure for many years, or, worse still, that he might not live to quit it (for many assured them that numbers of Venetian prisoners had been kept in Genoa a score of years before obtaining liberty); seeing too no prospect of being able to ransom him,—a thing which they had attempted often and by various channels,—they took counsel together, and came to the conclusion that Messer Nicolo, who, old as he was, was still hale and vigorous, should take to himself a new wife. This he did; and at the end of four years he found himself the father of three sons, Stefano, Maffio, and Giovanni. Not many years after, Messer Marco aforesaid, through the great favour that he had acquired in the eyes of the first gentlemen of Genoa, and indeed of the whole city, was discharged from prison and set free. Returning home he found that his father had in the meantime had those three other sons. Instead of taking this amiss, wise and discreet man that he was, he agreed also to take a wife of his own. He did so accordingly, but he never had any son, only two girls, one called Moreta and the other Fantina.

"When at a later date his father died, like a good and dutiful son he caused to be erected for him a tomb of very honourable kind for those days, being a great sarcophagus cut from the solid stone, which to this day may be seen under the portico before the Church of S. Lorenzo in this city, on the right hand as you enter, with an inscription denoting it to be the tomb of Messer Nicolo Polo of the contrada of S. Gio. Chrisostomo. The arms of his family consist of a Bend with three birds on it, and the colours, according to certain books of old histories in which you see all the coats of the gentlemen of this city emblazoned, are the field azure, the bend argent, and the three birds sable. These last are birds of that kind vulgarly termed Pole,[8] or, as the Latins call them, Gracculi.

[Sidenote: Ramusio's account of the Family Polo and its termination.]

8. "As regards the after duration of this noble and worthy family, I find that Messer Andrea Polo of San Felice had three sons, the first of whom was Messer Marco, the second Maffio, the third Nicolo. The two last were those who went to Constantinople first, and afterwards to Cathay, as has been seen. Messer Marco the elder being dead, the wife of Messer Nicolo who had been left at home with child, gave birth to a son, to whom she gave the name of Marco in memory of the deceased, and this is the Author of our Book. Of the brothers who were born from his father's second marriage, viz. Stephen, John, and Matthew, I do not find that any of them had children, except Matthew. He had five sons and one daughter called Maria; and she, after the death of her brothers without offspring, inherited in 1417 all the property of her father and her brothers. She was honourably married to Messer AZZO TREVISANO of the parish of Santo Stazio in this city, and from her sprung the fortunate and honoured stock of the Illustrious Messer DOMENICO TREVISANO, Procurator of St. Mark's, and valorous Captain General of the Sea Forces of the Republic, whose virtue and singular good qualities are represented with augmentation in the person of the Most Illustrious Prince Ser MARC' ANTONIO TREVISANO, his son.[9]

"Such has been the history of this noble family of the Ca' Polo, which lasted as we see till the year of our Redemption 1417, in which year died childless Marco Polo, the last of the five sons of Maffeo, and so it came to an end. Such be the chances and changes of human affairs!"



[1] The Preface is dated Venice, 7th July, 1553. Fracastorius died in the same year, and Ramusio erected a statue of him at Padua. Ramusio himself died in July, 1557.

[2] The Geography of De Barros, from which this is quoted, has never been printed. I can find nothing corresponding to this passage in the Decades.

[3] A grievous error of Ramusio's.

[4] See the decorated title-page of this volume for an attempt to realise the scene.

[5] At first sight this fantastic tradition seems to have little verisimilitude; but when we regard it in the light of genuine Mongol custom, such as is quoted from Rubruquis, at p. 389 of this volume, we shall be disposed to look on the whole story with respect.

[6] This curious statement is confirmed by a passage in the records of the Great Council, which, on a late visit to Venice, I was enabled to extract, through an obliging communication from Professor Minotto. (See below, p. 67.)

[7] This rather preposterous skit at the Genoese dialect naturally excites a remonstrance from the Abate Spotorno. (Storia Letteraria della Liguria, II. 217.)

[8] Jackdaws, I believe, in spite of some doubt from the imbecility of ordinary dictionaries in such matters.

They are under this name made the object of a similitude by Dante (surely a most unhappy one) in reference to the resplendent spirits flitting on the celestial stairs in the sphere of Saturn:—

"E come per lo natural costume Le Pole insieme, al cominciar del giorno, Si muovono a scaldar le fredde piume: Poi altre vanno via senza ritorno, Altre rivolgon se, onde son mosse, Ed altre roteando fan soggiorno."—Parad. XXI. 34.

There is some difference among authorities as to the details of the Polo blazon. According to a MS. concerning the genealogies of Venetian families written by Marco Barbaro in 1566, and of which there is a copy in the Museo Civico, the field is gules, the bend or. And this I have followed in the cut. But a note by S. Stefani of Venice, with which I have been favoured since the cut was made, informs me that a fine 15th-century MS. in his possession gives the field as argent, with no bend, and the three birds sable with beaks gules, disposed thus ***.

]

[A] [This coat of arms is reproduced from the Genealogies of Priuli, Archivio di Stato, Venice.—H. C.]

[9] Marco Antonio Trevisano was elected Doge, 4th June, 1553, but died on the 31st of May following. We do not here notice Ramusio's numerous errors, which will be corrected in the sequel. [See p. 78.]



II. SKETCH OF THE STATE OF THE EAST AT THE TIME OF THE JOURNEYS OF THE POLO FAMILY.

9. The story of the travels of the Polo family opens in 1260.

[Sidenote: State of the Levant.]

Christendom had recovered from the alarm into which it had been thrown some 18 years before when the Tartar cataclysm had threatened to engulph it. The Tartars themselves were already becoming an object of curiosity rather than of fear, and soon became an object of hope, as a possible help against the old Mahomedan foe. The frail Latin throne in Constantinople was still standing, but tottering to its fall. The successors of the Crusaders still held the Coast of Syria from Antioch to Jaffa, though a deadlier brood of enemies than they had yet encountered was now coming to maturity in the Dynasty of the Mamelukes, which had one foot firmly planted in Cairo, the other in Damascus. The jealousies of the commercial republics of Italy were daily waxing greater. The position of Genoese trade on the coasts of the Aegean was greatly depressed, through the predominance which Venice had acquired there by her part in the expulsion of the Greek Emperors, and which won for the Doge the lofty style of Lord of Three-Eighths of the Empire of Romania. But Genoa was biding her time for an early revenge, and year by year her naval strength and skill were increasing. Both these republics held possessions and establishments in the ports of Syria, which were often the scene of sanguinary conflicts between their citizens. Alexandria was still largely frequented in the intervals of war as the great emporium of Indian wares, but the facilities afforded by the Mongol conquerors who now held the whole tract from the Persian Gulf to the shores of the Caspian and of the Black Sea, or nearly so, were beginning to give a great advantage to the caravan routes which debouched at the ports of Cilician Armenia in the Mediterranean and at Trebizond on the Euxine. Tana (or Azov) had not as yet become the outlet of a similar traffic; the Venetians had apparently frequented to some extent the coast of the Crimea for local trade, but their rivals appear to have been in great measure excluded from this commerce, and the Genoese establishments which so long flourished on that coast, are first heard of some years after a Greek dynasty was again in possession of Constantinople.[1]

[Sidenote: The various Mongol Sovereignties in Asia and Eastern Europe.]

10. In Asia and Eastern Europe scarcely a dog might bark without Mongol leave, from the borders of Poland and the Gulf of Scanderoon to the Amur and the Yellow Sea. The vast empire which Chinghiz had conquered still owned a nominally supreme head in the Great Kaan,[2] but practically it was splitting up into several great monarchies under the descendants of the four sons of Chinghiz, Juji, Chaghatai, Okkodai, and Tuli; and wars on a vast scale were already brewing between them. Hulaku, third son of Tuli, and brother of two Great Kaans, Mangku and Kublai, had become practically independent as ruler of Persia, Babylonia, Mesopotamia, and Armenia, though he and his sons, and his sons' sons, continued to stamp the name of the Great Kaan upon their coins, and to use the Chinese seals of state which he bestowed upon them. The Seljukian Sultans of Iconium, whose dominion bore the proud title of Rum (Rome), were now but the struggling bondsmen of the Ilkhans. The Armenian Hayton in his Cilician Kingdom had pledged a more frank allegiance to the Tartar, the enemy of his Moslem enemies.

Barka, son of Juji, the first ruling prince of the House of Chinghiz to turn Mahomedan, reigned on the steppes of the Volga, where a standing camp, which eventually became a great city under the name of Sarai, had been established by his brother and predecessor Batu.

The House of Chaghatai had settled upon the pastures of the Ili and the valley of the Jaxartes, and ruled the wealthy cities of Sogdiana.

Kaidu, the grandson of Okkodai who had been the successor of Chinghiz in the Kaanship, refused to acknowledge the transfer of the supreme authority to the House of Tuli, and was through the long life of Kublai a thorn in his side, perpetually keeping his north-western frontier in alarm. His immediate authority was exercised over some part of what we should now call Eastern Turkestan and Southern Central Siberia; whilst his hordes of horsemen, force of character, and close neighbourhood brought the Khans of Chaghatai under his influence, and they generally acted in concert with him.

The chief throne of the Mongol Empire had just been ascended by Kublai, the most able of its occupants after the Founder. Before the death of his brother and predecessor Mangku, who died in 1259 before an obscure fortress of Western China, it had been intended to remove the seat of government from Kara Korum on the northern verge of the Mongolian Desert to the more populous regions that had been conquered in the further East, and this step, which in the end converted the Mongol Kaan into a Chinese Emperor,[3] was carried out by Kublai.

[Sidenote: China.]

11. For about three centuries the Northern provinces of China had been detached from native rule, and subject to foreign dynasties; first to the Khitan, a people from the basin of the Sungari River, and supposed (but doubtfully) to have been akin to the Tunguses, whose rule subsisted for 200 years, and originated the name of KHITAI, Khata, or CATHAY, by which for nearly 1000 years China has been known to the nations of Inner Asia, and to those whose acquaintance with it was got by that channel.[4] The Khitan, whose dynasty is known in Chinese history as the Liao or "Iron," had been displaced in 1123 by the Churches or Niu-chen, another race of Eastern Tartary, of the same blood as the modern Manchus, whose Emperors in their brief period of prosperity were known by the Chinese name of Tai-Kin, by the Mongol name of the Altun Kaans, both signifying "Golden." Already in the lifetime of Chinghiz himself the northern Provinces of China Proper, including their capital, known as Chung-tu or Yen-King, now Peking, had been wrenched from them, and the conquest of the dynasty was completed by Chinghiz's successor Okkodai in 1234.

Southern China still remained in the hands of the native dynasty of the Sung, who had their capital at the great city now well known as Hang-chau fu. Their dominion was still substantially untouched, but its subjugation was a task to which Kublai before many years turned his attention, and which became the most prominent event of his reign.

[Sidenote: India, and Indo-China.]

12. In India the most powerful sovereign was the Sultan of Delhi, Nassiruddin Mahmud of the Turki House of Iltitmish;[5] but, though both Sind and Bengal acknowledged his supremacy, no part of Peninsular India had yet been invaded, and throughout the long period of our Traveller's residence in the East the Kings of Delhi had their hands too full, owing to the incessant incursions of the Mongols across the Indus, to venture on extensive campaigning in the south. Hence the Dravidian Kingdoms of Southern India were as yet untouched by foreign conquest, and the accumulated gold of ages lay in their temples and treasuries, an easy prey for the coming invader.

In the Indo-Chinese Peninsula and the Eastern Islands a variety of kingdoms and dynasties were expanding and contracting, of which we have at best but dim and shifting glimpses. That they were advanced in wealth and art, far beyond what the present state of those regions would suggest, is attested by vast and magnificent remains of Architecture, nearly all dating, so far as dates can be ascertained, from the 12th to the 14th centuries (that epoch during which an architectural afflatus seems to have descended on the human race), and which are found at intervals over both the Indo-Chinese continent and the Islands, as at Pagan in Burma, at Ayuthia in Siam, at Angkor in Kamboja, at Borobodor and Brambanan in Java. All these remains are deeply marked by Hindu influence, and, at the same time, by strong peculiarities, both generic and individual.



[1] See Heyd, Le Colonie Commerciali degli Italiani, etc., passim.

[2] We endeavour to preserve throughout the book the distinction that was made in the age of the Mongol Empire between Khan and Kaan ([Arabic] and [Arabic] as written by Arabic and Persian authors). The former may be rendered Lord, and was applied generally to Tartar chiefs whether sovereign or not; it has since become in Persia, and especially in Afghanistan, a sort of "Esq.," and in India is now a common affix in the names of (Musulman) Hindustanis of all classes; in Turkey alone it has been reserved for the Sultan. Kaan, again, appears to be a form of Khakan, the [Greek: Chaganos] of the Byzantine historians, and was the peculiar title of the supreme sovereign of the Mongols; the Mongol princes of Persia, Chaghatai, etc., were entitled only to the former affix (Khan), though Kaan and Khakan are sometimes applied to them in adulation. Polo always writes Kaan as applied to the Great Khan, and does not, I think, use Khan in any form, styling the subordinate princes by their name only, as Argon, Alau, etc. Ilkhan was a special title assumed by Hulaku and his successors in Persia; it is said to be compounded from a word Il, signifying tribe or nation. The relation between Khan and Khakan seems to be probably that the latter signifies "Khan of Khans" Lord of Lords. Chinghiz, it is said, did not take the higher title; it was first assumed by his son Okkodai. But there are doubts about this. (See Quatremere's Rashid, pp. 10 seqq. and Pavet de Courteille, Dict. Turk-Oriental.) The tendency of swelling titles is always to degenerate, and when the value of Khan had sunk, a new form, Khan-khanan, was devised at the Court of Delhi, and applied to one of the high officers of state.